NEW DELHI: Size matters, and for Indians, the most preferred is 5 inches — for smartphone screen size, that is.

In a fast-growing smartphone market — current size is 25 million units and sales are growing 50% annually — that is spoilt for choice thanks to a wide range of products from global and local manufacturers, a strong consumer preference is emerging: The Indian consumer is opting most for smartphones with a screen size of around 5 inches; in trade, screen size of phones are measured diagonally.

For the second quarter ended June 2013, sales of smartphones with screen sizes from 5 inches to 6.9 inches rose 17 times from a year earlier, according to research firm IDC. Within this, the briskest sale has been recorded in the 4.7-5 inches screen size category. A senior executive of a global handset maker confirmed the trend, saying "5-inch smartphones contributed only about 3% of sales in 2012, but currently make up close to 20% of the sales". The manager did not wish to be identified because company policy does not allow executives to comment on overall market data.

And the most iconic smartphone-maker, Apple, is also reportedly getting converted to the 5-inch theory. Tech watchers in America have been writing about Apple's plans to offer iPhones with screen size from 4.8 inches to 6 inches. Currently, iPhone screen size is around 4.5 inches.

But it's not in the premium phone category that the 5-inch preference is showing up in India.

Market analysts, manufacturers and retailers say the preference for the 5-inch screen is attributable to this size offering the optimum combination of price, performance and what is called 'pocketability' (the ease with which a smartphone can be carried in a shirt or trouser pocket).

Smartphones screen sizes vary from 3 inches to 7 inches. Smaller screens mean lower prices and higher pocketability. But the performance, in terms of quality of images and the space provided for apps, is worse.

As more and more Indians opt for smartphones, performance quality is becoming important but price sensitivity and pocketability remain factors — hence the emergence of the 5-inch screen size as the winning combination.

"Ability to fit in pockets is crucial. There's a close call between 4.7-inch and 5-inch screens. Beyond this, it's too big for the pockets," says Shashin Devsare, executive director at Karbonn Mobiles. "Of course, performance and price also go into the buying decision," he added.

Local brands with 5-inch screen size retail around Rs 10,000, and premium models of Samsung and Apple are upwards of Rs 18,000. Dealers say the Rs 10,000-20,000 price band is what most Indians find comfortable while buying a 5-inch phone. Mahmood, a handset retailer in Indirapuram on the outskirts of Delhi, says that customers are increasingly seeking phones around the 5-inch screen size. "Though they cost a bit more, but they are still affordable and sell the most."

Kaushik Ghosh, 35, a Delhi-based independent technology consultant, recently bought a smartphone, and was very particular about the screen size.

"It's not just a mobile phone that I bought. The 5-inch screen size allows me to easily use it and carry. I can also use the media apps well, without straining my eyes," he added.

Says Hari Om Rai, co-founder Lava, a domestic handset maker, "Buyers see more value in a 5-inch smartphone rather than a smaller or a bigger screen."

And, finally, the 5-inch trend in smartphones is creating a new fashion trend — trousers with pockets made for phones this size. The head of global design for Dockers (a Levi Strauss brand), Doug Conklyn, told FoxNews.com recently: "We recently increased the size of our 'coin pocket', which is the pocket-within-the-pocket on the wearer's right, from 3x3 to 4x4 to accommodate today's larger phones."

It seems, not just Indians, but everyone loves the 5-inch size — for smartphone screen size, that is.